Detecting the Impacts of Ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Crop Growth and Human Activity Using Multi-Modal Remote Sensing Time-Series Data

Armed conflict has negative impacts on both natural and human environment. In this study, Kherson state in Ukraine, a region at the forefront of the ongoing RussiaUkraine conflict, was chosen as the research area. Utilizing multi-modal remote sensing time series data including Sentinel-2 and VIIRS satellite images, along with ESRI 10-m resolution land cover data, we aim to uncover the conflict impacts on crop growth and human activity. Monthly and annual NDVI and night light mean maps were composited, and time series curves, Sen-MK trend analysis and violin plot were employed to detect the conflict’s impacts. The results indicate that the conflict has led to a decline in crop growth and a reduction in the intensity of human activity.